Menu

Roberts Rules of Order

It’s always important that a Homeowner’s Association board functions properly. Without a working board, conducting business and setting policy becomes a difficult, if not downright impossible, task.Robert’s Rules are a set of guidelines based on basic parliamentary procedure that can be used to make sure your HOA board conducts its meetings in an orderly and fair manner.It’s important to put all members on the same footing with procedures, and give everyone a fair chance to have their voices heard in the discussion.

What Are Robert’s Rules?

Robert’s Rules Of Order were first published in 1876 after Henry Martyn Robert, then a colonel in the U.S. Army, agreed to lead a church meeting which he felt unprepared to handle. In order to prepare himself, and make sure the meeting ran smoothly, he created a list of rules loosely modeled on those used by the U.S. House of Representatives.He adapted them so they could be used by any deliberative body or organization. Despite being over a hundred years old, Robert’s Rules are still widely used today, with an updated edition published as recently as 2011.

How to Adopt Robert’s Rules for HOA Boards

For a board to operate properly, it needs to run smoothly, while at the same time allowing all members to feel they have a chance to participate and be heard. Robert wrote his Rules to be a standard that could be adopted by any type of organization. They are a great resource to use to make sure your meetings run as smoothly as possible. By adopting these guidelines, HOA boards will be working within a time-tested framework.

Following Robert’s Rules will make sure your board uses an orderly manner to set an agenda, propose actions or decisions, and handle debates.They will also aid in adopting or rejecting a proposal in a fair and democratic manner. The Rules are purposely designed to allow for efficiency without sacrificing fairness. This is why it is important that all members know Robert’s Rules and understand how they work.

If it’s decide to use the Rules, make sure that all members are familiar with them by posting to the website and your social Medias. Once residents have reviewed the Rules be sure that all issues have been addressed and clarifications made. Robert intended the Rules to foster democratic procedure, which means members can only participate properly if they understand the right way to do so.